AMD bringing console graphics to mobiles

New support measures aim for strong development for handheld

AMD is promising to bring console-quality graphics to mobile phones with a string of new support measures for mobile game development.

The support is being put in place now, well before the release of AMD's next-generation graphics technologies due in 2008.

A supplier of processors for a number of different consoles, AMD will be providing handset manufacturers with what it terms "discrete media processors" - though no new mobile phone processor has been announced.

AMD's "next-generation" mobile graphics technologies will feature bespoke hardware acceleration for the quicker rendering of vector graphics, a common type of video game graphics.

The company hopes that by standardising the software in mobile phone game development, cross platform development will be easier and produce high-quality results.

Popular tools

To that end, AMD is employing the use of RenderMonkey 1.7 - the mobile phone equivalent of a popular tool used to develop characters and environments for console games.

"AMD is working closely with OEMs and semiconductor suppliers to bring to market an incredibly powerful handheld gaming platform equipped with AMD's innovative, open-standard technology," said Paul Dal Santo, vice president and general manager of AMD's Handheld Division.

The company also hopes to make next-generation development kits ready soon - a common event in game development - which would give developers more time to refine their titles.